Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. Deputy Humphreys is a Minister from a rural county and she understands the problem that we have.

I appreciate the funding that we have received but we must go forward. We have 673 roads on the list.

The Department of Finance may be telling the Minister that these are private roads; they are not. They are public roads that were not taken in charge by the local authority. To qualify, you must have at least two landholders. Many of these roads have up to 20 landholders and maybe the same amount of houses. I reiterate these are not private roads or laneways; they are public rights of way that were not taken in charge by the local authority. They are used by households, farmers and service providers, including doctors and public health nurses. These people pay their motor tax, income tax, VAT and excise the same as the people in Dublin. The people on these roads deserve a good road to their door the same as the people in Dublin 4.

See this speech in context